The present invention relates generally to greeting card displays and more particularly to a specific method of displaying greeting cars using a display assembly which is designed in a specific way to simulate a Christmas tree while, at the same time, reliably support the greeting cards for display.
There have been a number of suggested ways of displaying greeting cards in the prior art as evidenced Nos.: the following United States patent Nos. 516,262 Claflin 2,447,856 Hazelton 2,503,359 Smith 2,865,122 Clawson 3,987,566 March.
The Smith patent just recited discloses an ornamental tree display including a stand, a central core and a series of leaves to be positioned in spaced relationship about the central core. These leaves are provided for supporting greeting cards. In the Clawson patent a tree simulating card display is disclosed and utilizes a pair of triangularly shaped slotted plates to support greeting cards. A slotted pyramid like structure is provided for the same purpose in the March patent. The remaining patents cited above disclose still further arrangements for supporting greeting cards.
Additional ornamental structures, mainly ornamental tree structures (not for displaying greeting cards), are described in the following U.S. patent Nos.: 79,986 Keim 2,016,334 McComb 2,111,109 Bolyard Des 130,937 Dennison 2,732,646 James.
With the exception of Keim, all of the patents just recited disclosure different types of ornamental tree structures. For example, the McComb patent discloses an artificial Christmas tree made up of a series of folded limbs of cellophane of varying lengths designed to be supported upon a central core in spaced relationship. Bolyard utilizes tubes to simulate a tree and Dennison utilizes what appears to be cylindrical rods or sticks. James, on the other hand, provides a knock-down type ornamental tree structure utilizing what are referred to as projecting fingers. The Keim patent is not directed to a tree structure at all, but rather winding stairs utilizing straight bars secured around a central post and other components including, for example, a stair railing.
The various patents cited and discussed above have been provided to exemplify the present state of the art with regard to structures for displaying greeting cards as well as ornamental structures generally and particularly those which simulate Christmas trees. As will be seen hereinafter, the present invention is also directed to a structure (and method) for displaying greeting cards and particularly to a structure which simulates a Christmas tree. However, as will also be seen, the particular structure disclosed herein including the way it displays greeting cards is quite different than the structures discussed above.